Is Minnesota just an inferior version of Duke?

[Grafcat]

Fast QB with OK running skills but not great passing.
Solid but not spectacular (no Cobb) RBs
Good defense, swarms to the ball.

If that's the case, the difference might be the depleted secondary (3 injuries instead of a stud like Cash).....we should be able to take care of business at home......(not like NU ever does what they are supposed to)

 

[oleboy41]

Not really. Leidner is a big QB and a decent runner but he's not very fast. Our RBs are probably the opposite of what you mentioned. Cobb was extremely solid and efficient but not much of a big play threat. Both Smith and Brooks have shown arguably more big play ability than Cobb.
D is solid and the secondary being depleted may force us to be more vanilla which will benefit your young QB. That said if I had to pick a game to have a depleted secondary it would be against a run heavy team with a frosh QB.

 

[Hungry Jack]

Certainly some similarities, but keep in mind that Leidner has over 450 collegiate pass attempts. He's not a guy who wins games, but does not lose them either. He's more of a passing threat than Sirk.

 

[shakes3858]

Certainly some similarities, but keep in mind that Leidner has over 450 collegiate pass attempts. He's not a guy who wins games, but does not lose them either. He's more of a passing threat than Sirk.

Not sure more pass attempts means better passing threat.

 

[rmndcat]

Minny doesn't have a Cash and Leidner isn't green, but similar in a lot of respects.

 

[Deeringfish]

Why inferior? They probably have a better line on both on both sides of the ball and football is really won in the trenches. Skill players are for stats and we all know what stats are for.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

Certainly some similarities, but keep in mind that Leidner has over 450 collegiate pass attempts. He's not a guy who wins games, but does not lose them either. He's more of a passing threat than Sirk.

Leidner is not much of a passing threat. At all.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

Why inferior? They probably have a better line on both on both sides of the ball and football is really won in the trenches. Skill players are for stats and we all know what stats are for.

Given the number of injuries, I'm not sure what to expect out of Minny's OL. DL should be decent though.

 

[umfb27]

Given the number of injuries, I'm not sure what to expect out of Minny's OL. DL should be decent though.

Our OL is healthier than at any point so far in the season. As for Leidner, he isn't flashy, but if he doesn't fumble the ball away he can get the job done. Look for a lot of short out passes and a heavy dose of Smith and Brooks.

 

[Hungry Jack]

Leidner is not much of a passing threat. At all.

If the comparator is Sirk, he is.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

Our OL is healthier than at any point so far in the season. As for Leidner, he isn't flashy, but if he doesn't fumble the ball away he can get the job done. Look for a lot of short out passes and a heavy dose of Smith and Brooks.

Weren't all the other posts talking about how everyone is either hurt or banged up?

 

[gocatsgo2003]

If the comparator is Sirk, he is.

Even then. Leidner threw some of the ugliest passes I've ever seen against TCU, which is probably the most pressure he's seen all year.

 

[oleboy41]

Weren't all the other posts talking about how everyone is either hurt or banged up?

yea they are. Lauer (our starting LT) hasn't played since limping around and getting destroyed the first 2 drives of the TCU game. Christenson (our LG) got hurt game 2 I think and is out for another month and our backup (now starting) LG is apparently playing with no knee cartilage or something and won't be more than Everyone else is still battling injuries. Hopefully they're getting healthier but who knows.